Self-cleaning still.



W. H. McCUNE.

SELF CLEANING STILL. APPLIGATIOK FILED FEB.14, 1911.

1,010,508. v PatentedDeq.5,191l

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR I W.-H. MoCUN E. SELF CLEANING STILL APPLICATION FILED PERM, 1911.

Patented Dec.5, 1911.

2 SEEETSSHEET 2.

' lNvEN-row iii UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WlILLIAM H. McCUNE, or vANDERGRIFT, PENNSYLVANIA.

1 SELF-CLEANING STILL.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MoGUNn, of Vandergrift. in the county of VVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Self-Cleaning Still, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. i y

My invention relates to apparatus used in distilling water and more particularly relates to the construction and arrangement of means whereby the still is mechanically cleaned at frequent intervals without substantial interruption of the distilling operation or attention of. the operator.

In the operation of such distilling apparatus heretofore the impurities in the water being distilled become concentrated and collect in the bottom portion of the retort of the still, the. solids in the heated water be coming deposited and building up gradually on the inner surfaces of the still retort. The accumulation of such deposits is so rapid and thevolume of the deposited matter. so great. that-unless the retort is frefluently cleaned the deposited matter on the inner surfaces of the still, which is an excellent non-conductor of heat, becomes so heavy as to seriously retard the effective operation and greatly reduce thedistilling capacity of the apparatus. The usual method of cleaning such stills is, in the smaller stills, to remove the materials deposited in the retort by hand, and, in the larger sizes of such ap' paratus, to draw off the concentrated sludge and solid materials in the still through a valve-controlled opening in the bottom of the retort. Inboth of-these methods the continuity ofthe distilling operation must be interrupted while the cleaning operations are being carried out, and considerable time is lost in again starting the apparatus inoperation.

' One object of my invention is to provide apparatus for distilling water having novel means whereby the still is automatically cleaned at regulated intervals and whereby the cleaning operations are performed mechanically without the assistance of an attendant and without substantial interruption in the continuous operation-of the dis- 1 tilling apparatus.

. Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation-showing distilling apparatus constructed and arranged in accord- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Application filed February 14, 1911. Serial No. 608,546.

ance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on the irregular line IIII of Fig. 1, showing the relative arrangement of the retort, condensing worm or screw and the mechanism by which the retort of the still is automatically cleaned at pre-determined intervals.

In the drawings, 2 designates the retort of the distilling apparatus which as shown is constructed of copper and has a cylindrical central portion connecting frusto-conical top and bottom portions. The smaller upper end of the frusto-conical top portion of the retort is provided with a cylindrical end portion having a tightly fitting removable lid or cover 3. Leading from the upper portion of the retort 2 is a tubular wormor screw 4 formed of block tin and leading into the cooling chamber or tank 5 in which cold water is constantly being supplied and the steam evolved in the retort 2 and passed through the worm is condensed, the sodistilled water being delivered through the lower end of the worm t into a suitable refaces of the retort 2 are usually tinned.

As shown in the drawings, a pipe coil 2" leads into and out of the bottom portion of the retort 2, steam being passed through this pipe in order to heat and vaporize the water surrounding the coil in the retort. Also located in the lower portion of the retort is an annular gas burner 6 having a pipe 7 connected with a source of gas supply, the burner 6 also being employed to heat and vaporize the water in .the retort 2.- Surrounding the upper portion of the.retort is a cylindrical shell or hood. 8 having a head 9 and being provided, near its upper end with small openings 10 through which the products of combustion from the gas burner 6 pass outwardly from the hood 8, this hood preferably, although not necessarily, being employed. 7

The retort 2 is connected to the cooling tank 5 in which the worm 4 isplaced by means of a horizontal overflow pipe 11 and box 12 which is secured on and forms part of the cooling chamber 5. ithin the box 12 is a vertically depending partition 13 having a small hole or series of holes 14: therethrough at a level slightly below the level 15 at which the water is maintained within the retort 2, and the level of the overflow outlet in the cooling tank. The hole or holes 14 are made of such size asto permit water to flow fromthe cooling tank 5'at about the rate the water is vaporized in the retort 2 and the boX 12 and pipe 11 and the holes 14 in the partition 13 are provided to deliver a constant supply of water i'nto'theretort 2 to replace the water constantly passing therefrom in the form of vapor into the tubular worm 4 to be condensed therein.

The cooling chamber 5 i s provided with a water overflow pipe 16 and a waterinlet pipe 17 (through which water is supplied to the cooling tank 5 and through the tank 5 to the retort isconnected into the lower portion of thebondensing chamber 5.

A stop cock 18is provided at a suitable location on the side of the cooling tankor condensing chamber 5 and beneath the stop cock 18 is a cylindrical tank 19 arranged to collect water running from the stop cook 18. The tank 19 is provided with a siphon 20 which is connected to the tank so as to make a water tightjoint and which is of such size .as to readily start to siphon the water in the tank 19 when supplied to this tank at the rather slow rate at which the water is supplied from the drip cock 18. Braces 19 are employed to secure the tanks 5 and 19 together in'the relative position shown.

Beneath the tank 19 is a similar tank 21 of larger size, as shown, its capacity being about three times that of the tank 19. The tank 21 is arranged to collect the water discharged from the siphon 20, a siphon 22 being. provided on the tank 21 which is arranged to discharge into the float tank 23 below the tank 21. The tank 23 is provided with afloat 24 having feet on its bottom tol hold the bottom of the float out of contact with the bottom of the tank 23. A. U-tube 25 forming a siphon is connected to the bottom of the float tank 23 so as to practically drain this tank when the siphon 25 is started in operation.

The lower, smaller end of the conical'bottom on the retort 2 is provided with a drain" pipe 26 and located at a suitable point in the length of this drain pipe is a stop cock-27 which is normally inclosed position during the operation of the apparatus. The stop cook 27 is provided with an operating lever arm 28 which is operatively connected to one end 29 of the bell crank formed by the levers 29 and 30. The bell crank is pivotally connected to a support 31 which is secured to the drain pipe and the framework 32 supporting theapparatus. Theouter end of the lever arrh 30 of the bell crank is connected to the rod 33 onthe top ofthe float 24 so as to open and close the stop cook 27 with the rising and 'falling of the float in thetank 23. I,

Inthe operation of my improved apparatus water is supplied .throu h the pipel'l and cooling chamber 5 to t e b0x-12 and,

through thisbox and the pipe 11 to the retort 2. Steamis then supplied to the steam heating coil 2' or else the annular gas burner 6 islighted to heat the water in the retort 2, or in some cases both means of heating may be employed. \Vhen the water becomes heated to the boiling point, the vaporwhich then arisespasses upwardly in the retort and k is led downwardly through the densing coil 4 and after the steamis condensed the resulting distilled'water is led outwardly through the condensing chamber 5 through the lower end of the condensing coil and is delivered into a carboy or other receptacle in readiness for use.

A supply of fresh water is constantly pro;

vided in the retort 2 through the 'pipe' 11.

and box 12 which connect the retort with the condensing chamber 5, and the condensing chamber or tank 5 's being constantly s upplied with fresh ater' through thepipes 17, the Water being constantly maintained at the desired level in the apparatus by means of the overflow pipe 16.

The stop cook 18' is' opened so as to drip slowly into the tank 19, the rate of feed of water into this tank being regulated to suit the necessary requirements.

When thetank 19 becomes filled with Water, the siphon 20 will be caused to operate and \discharge the water in the tank 20 into the-lower tank 21. The relative sizes of the tanks 19 and 21 a r,e such that the lower. larger tank has a capacity of about three times that of the .upper tank 19, so that -the tank 19 will be emptied thfee times before the.larg'er tank the contents of this tank 21 into the float chamber 23. i

"The function of the readily understood by first assuming a construction in which the vessel 19 and siphon 20 are absent. In such case, Where water is.

supplied drop by drop to the'ves'sel 21, when the water reaches the levelof the top of the lower curve of the bend in the siphon 22 it will simply flow lover .a thin fi l1n, no siphonic' act-ion, properly speaking, taking place. But when the contents of the tank 19 are quickly slapplied to'the tank 21 and cientlv full, the siphon 22 the tank 21 is su p p is filled to*the top of its bend and a true siphonic action takes place whereby the float 244s quickly lifted'to be as quickly allowed.

21 is filled suflicientl to start the siphon 22 to operate .and de iver,

siphon; will be moreand, through the connecting bell crank mechanism closes the stop cook 27.

The frequency with which the retort 2 is drained is regulated byvarying the volume of water discharged from the chamber into the siphon tank 19 by the drip cook 18 so that the number of times the retort 2 is flushed in a given time can be readily changed. 1 Y

When a quantity of water has been removed from the retort 2 by flushing the retort through the drain pipe 26 the Water again regains the desired level in the retort 2 in a short period of time, (ordinarily about two minutes with the apparatus illustrated),

and the continuous operation ratus is practically effected.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

By the provision of the novel means for automatically flushing the retort of the still at pro-determined intervals the collection of objectionable solids in the bottom of the retort is overcome and prevented.

of the appa- The novel arrangement of the flushing aparatus, as shown, permits oi the flushing operations being carried out automatically without attention ormanual labor, and the still is maintained in an operative condition at all times.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made.

The construction of the still and the construction of the flushing apparatus may be changed and the relative location of the parts may my invention as defined in the claims.

I claim l1. A still comprising a retort having a valve-controlled outlet in the bottom thereof, mechanism for actuating said valve in opening and closing, and mechanical means for operating said valve actuating mechanism and regulating the time intervals at which said valveiactuating mechanism is operated.

2. A still comprising a retort having a valve-controlled drain outlet in the'bottoni thereof, mechanism for actuating said valve in opening and closing, mechanical means for operating said valve actuating mechanism and means for 'lvarying the time intervals the 'valve is held in its closed position.

A WILLIAM H. MoCUN E.

Witnesses:

RALPH J. FREE'ILY, JOHN I."KINNARD.

Copies of this patent niaj be obtained for fivecents each, by addressi Washington, D. G.

g the Commissioner of Patents,

be varied without departing from In testimony whereof, I have hereuntoset my hand. 

